


In Bloom

by Nyerus (dragonmist310)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Fae & Fairies, Fluff, Gen, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 03:43:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14708450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonmist310/pseuds/Nyerus
Summary: Victor, Prince of the Faeries, has never been far from his dearest friend Yuuri. Though the duties of a King slowly draw them apart, Victor's feelings continue to grow. Once they reunite, Victor endeavors to properly court Yuuri—who seems to have other ideas.





	In Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the pilot issue of the [YOI LitMag: Shall We Read](https://yoilitmag.tumblr.com/), with the theme of "beginnings." It's probably the fluffiest thing I've ever written, and I hope everyone enjoys some soft fae courting! (∩*´♡`*∩)

The Bloom was the most celebrated occasion among their kind. It was an auspicious day heralded by the summer solstice, when the midsummer sun’s gentle rays nurtured a garden of sprouts into vibrant blossoms. Every flower was different, and inside each one was a newborn Fae—creatures born of pure celestial energy.

The Celestial Garden itself was not very large, yet nearly every Fae from across the realm was in attendance. No one wanted to miss this, especially not when it was a rare event, only occurring every few centuries. Fae were patient folk, being nearly immortal, but to miss the Bloom would be unlucky at the very least. So there they all gathered, arranged in the stands above and vying for the best view. That honor, however, could only be claimed by the royal family who were seated close to the garden’s entrance.

The young prince, just shy of three full centuries of age, was restless with excitement. It took all his patience not to fly off from his chair and down into the garden, but he knew his parents would harshly reprimand him and he didn’t want anything to ruin this day. He’d been too small to remember his last Bloom as it had occurred only a few decades after the one that birthed him. Of course, he had no memory of that, though he’d been told it had been a grand affair because of his flower. Something as unique as his iridescent blue rose signaled Fae royalty—something dictated not by direct lineage as in the case of other beings, but by nature itself. Prince Victor now hoped that he would be able to see the blossoming of another royal flower, and a sibling to come with it.

His excitement was clearly shared—a pleasant and harmonious energy buzzed through the air on that balmy day. Hundreds of Fae, dressed in their finest, chatted amongst themselves while waiting for the ceremony to start. It was loud for a time, but when the sound of the astral bell rang clear, all fell silent. Victor gripped his chair tightly—so tightly it hurt—as all attention was turned to the Celestial Garden.

“It’s starting,” his mother whispered from beside him, her hand on his shoulder. She had emerged a millennia ago from a golden amaryllis. “Ah, there!”

The clerics flew over to the first flower that suddenly bloomed: a lovely azalea. Like all flowers of the garden, it was larger than those found elsewhere, to accommodate the Fae inside, however small the newborn was. Most were the size of a grown Fae’s cupped hands, and this was no different. A cleric dressed in pure white reached out and scooped the tiny Fae up, holding it aloft for all to see. Joyful cheers erupted all around, and Victor clapped furiously, though the baby was so small he could hardly see it at all from his seat. Still, it felt like he was witnessing a miracle, and in a way he was. This was the purest manifestation of energy in the universe, formed into sentient beings capable of miracles themselves.

The second flower was a lilac, followed by a carnation, a dahlia, and nearly two dozen more. All were unique in their own way, but none were _special_ with that telltale glow. Regardless, Victor couldn’t be disappointed. Not when there were so many new Fae conjured into existence.

The cleric declared the ceremony over when no new flowers had bloomed for several minutes—but that was not to be the end of the day’s festivities. While the newborn Fae were whisked away to the nursery, a feast would follow for everyone else, lasting all night and well into the next day. And so, everyone began to filter out of the stands as they made their way to the royal palace where endless food and drink awaited them.

Victor, however, still found his attention firmly taken by the garden. Unbloomed sprouts and bulbs swayed gently in the breeze and he wondered when they would get the chance to flourish. Maybe next time? The clerics were busy wrapping up newborns—some crying charmingly, others fast asleep, but all healthy—into cute bundles and placing them in baskets for transport.

“Come along, dear,” his father bid him, but Victor ignored the summons as something caught his eye. It was a flower falling from the tree in the center of the garden. The flowers the tree produced were not of any one kind, and it could produce any flower that existed on the planet (and sometimes those that did not). The one that was slowly drifting to the ground seemed to be a cherry blossom—small in size but so very beautiful that Victor felt compelled to fly over, despite his parent’s protests. The Fae that had yet remained behind made sounds of astonishment as he flew, echoing his surprise.

One of the clerics caught the flower carefully, and its petals unfurled slowly to reveal another newborn in the center. Victor was close enough to see the little Fae’s black hair and chubby cheeks, and it made his heart swell with adoration. Another cleric chuckled, proclaiming, “It seems we have a late bloomer.”

* * *

****“Aha! I’ve found you!” came the sweet giggling that made Victor’s days so bright. Two small hands parted the thick curtain of leaves he’d hidden himself behind, and his dearest friend’s face filled the gap. Warm, cinnamon-brown eyes twinkled with mischief by the light of the afternoon sun.

“Yuuri, you’re too good at this game,” Victor whined, though he’d made it easy on the younger Fae by making sure his wings peeked out from the bushes just a bit. A few rounds ago, Yuuri had gotten scared when Victor had hidden himself a bit too effectively during his turn, and Victor would rather not see the little thing cry in alarm again.

Yuuri smiled bashfully at the praise and it was so cute that Victor couldn’t help but burst from the bushes and scoop him up. Yuuri made a sound of surprise, but then only laughed. The boy was still small—especially compared to Victor, who had grown willowy over the centuries—so he was not very heavy at all. Still, it was difficult to think that Yuuri had once been as tiny as the cherry blossom that bore him. A few more centuries to follow and he’d probably be as tall as Victor was now and oh, wasn’t it strange how quickly the years flew by? Especially for Fae.

“Let’s play another round!” Yuuri suggested excitedly, looking up at him with those charmingly big eyes. No doubt he knew how weak Victor was to _that look_. For all his shyness, Yuuri was awfully clever. It was no wonder he and Victor had become friends. Following the Bloom, Yuuri had been taken in by the Katsukis—a well-known clan of Fae who had long served the royal house as caretakers and stewards. Since they lived on palace grounds, Victor often visited Yuuri and watched him grow into an inquisitive youngling.

“Sorry Yuuri, it’s getting late now. I have my afternoon lessons soon, and master Yakov was very upset with me when I was late last time. I don’t want to hear his lectures again!” Victor said. Yuuri pouted, but despite his youth he seemed to understand, as always. In truth, he was the only one Victor felt like he could be himself with—as everyone else wanted something of him. Yuuri only ever wanted him as he was, and as a friend.

“Fine….”

“Let’s fly back to the palace together, alright?” Victor said, gliding from where he was hovering in the air back down to the ground. He placed Yuuri on his feet, but still held him by the hands. “Wings out!”

Yuuri scrunched up his face in concentration. For a moment nothing happened, but then behind the boy was a faint shimmering—appearing almost as a mirage—that gradually intensified. Delicate blue butterfly wings fluttered behind him, lifting him off the ground ever so slightly. Iridescent and elegant, they suited Yuuri, Victor thought.

“Great job,” Victor said with a wide smile. “You’re getting so good at conjuring your wings!” Soon it would come as second nature, but it always took young Fae a while to get the hang of it. After all, it had taken Victor several decades once he’d come of age to do so, and that had been considered prodigious.

The two of them flew back to the palace together, with Yuuri holding tightly onto Victor’s hand all the while despite the relatively short distance. The sweet youngling was still afraid of falling, but Victor knew that soon, he would soar on his own.

* * *

It was not a surprise, but the Queen was at the end of her days. She knew her time had come and had welcomed it, in fact, having lived for several satisfying millennia. She’d always said that one day, they would have to return to the universe the magic it had taken to create them. The King agreed with her sentiment wholeheartedly and, being bondmates, decided they’d be together in death as they were in life.

No one was certain when exactly it would happen, but following the autumn equinox, they passed peacefully in their sleep—their bodies turning back into stardust that was swept away to whence it came. No one had known until that morning, and Victor had woken with the news.

“Why did they both have to leave me at once?” Victor asked somberly, surprised there were no tears running down his face anymore. He sat in front of his dresser with his most beloved advisor beside him. The older Fae placed his hand on Victor’s shoulder. It felt unusually heavy.

“Don’t be petulant now of all times,” Yakov said, though there was no scolding tone in his voice at all. Only sorrow. “Such is the eventual fate of all Fae, you know this. They saw even the birth of humans—do you not think that after living for so long that they deserved to rest? You’ve been trained for this since humans learned how to tend a harvest. You were _born_ for this.”

“I don’t feel ready.” Even dressed in magnificent gold and magenta robes, fit for a king, Victor felt nothing like the ruler he was meant to be.

“Neither did they.”

That seemed like an impossibility. For all the time that he’d known them, his parents had been the epitome of monarchs—regal and wise. Victor felt like he was just barely out of his adolescence, and yet here he was. Maybe that, too, had been expected. There had been such a long gap between the birth of his parents and his own Bloom that some Fae had begun to wonder if no royalty would ever be born again—a curse, perhaps, by the Unseelies. But Victor’s joyous birth disproved such a thing, yet guaranteed that he would outlive his parents by thousands of millennia.

“You’ve shed enough tears for the day, Vitya. Their sending ceremony has already passed. It’s good to mourn, but not to wallow. You’ve said your goodbyes, so now you must accept it and greet your people with the strength they need,” Yakov told him, shaking his shoulder gently as though it would help break him away from ruminations. “You’re expected soon, so don’t keep your people waiting. Today is meant to be a day of new beginnings.”

And with that, Yakov excused himself, leaving Victor alone in his room to contemplate what he’d just said. Victor could find no fault in any of it. Looking in the mirror at his rather pitiful appearance, he slowly came to the conclusion that he couldn’t stay a youngling forever. His fate had been decided for him at the time of his birth, and there was no fighting it.

He eyed the pair of golden-tipped scissors within arm’s reach and thought that maybe one more change was in order.

About fifteen minutes later and a little glamour to cover up his unskilled handiwork, Victor stepped out of his room. His robes shone of the finest silk and glittered with the richest gold. All that was missing was—

“By the stars,” came the voice from nearby. Victor turned to see Yuuri standing there, dressed in the blue shades he seemed to favor. In his hands was a cushion with a shimmering crown atop it, but Victor hardly noticed it in favor of Yuuri’s eyes, which were wide with surprise, so expressive. His face gave away so many emotions as always. “What did you do to your hair?!”

“You don’t like it?” Victor asked, stepping closer to him. He must have been waiting outside all this time, and Victor made a mental note to make it up to him later. He knew Yuuri loved to dance, so perhaps at the ball later, they would get the chance to share one. Or maybe more than one, since Victor recalled how much Yuuri had loved to play with his hair, especially when they’d been younger.

“No—I mean, yes—I mean—” Yuuri sputtered, averting his eyes for a moment. When he peeked back at Victor, having composed himself a little, he muttered, “It’s just sudden, is all.”

“I’m sorry for not warning you.”

“No, that’s fine,” Yuuri said, ducking his head. He had the most endearing blush on his face that he seemed to want to hide. “Anyways, I think… you look quite handsome.”

“Thank you,” Victor said with a smile, then realizing it was the first time he’d smiled at all since his parents had passed. Of course it would be Yuuri to lift his spirits up.

“A-Anyway, this is meant for you!” Yuuri held out the cushion with the crown towards him, bowing respectfully while he was at it.

“Put it on me, then,” Victor asked, seeming to catch Yuuri off-guard again. He didn’t mean to keep making the boy so flustered, but he had to admit that he didn’t feel very guilty about it at all.

“Is that proper?”

“Does it matter?”

And as it turned out, it didn’t. Yuuri smiled softly at him, and placed the cushion down on the nearby table. Slowly and carefully, he lifted the crown and Victor bent over slightly, allowing Yuuri to place the beautiful creation—constructed by the finest artisans in the realm—atop his head.

It was so, so heavy. Yet Victor felt lighter than he had for the last three moons.

“Thank you,” he said to Yuuri, who smiled widely in response.

“You owe me at least three dances for all of this, you know.”

“Of course,” Victor promised.

By the end of the night, Victor had been graced with the opportunity to dance with Yuuri nearly half a dozen times. Maybe it was because he’d forsaken everyone else in favor of Yuuri, but was it any mistake that he was drawn to his most cherished friend? Dancing with Yuuri, Victor felt his heart begin to heal.

* * *

****_“He’s so beautiful_ ,” was a constant thought running through Victor’s head, often punctuated with “ _he’s so surprising”_ or “ _he’s so wonderful.”_

Honestly, he couldn’t say when exactly it had happened, but the fact of the matter was this: Victor was in love with Yuuri.

Maybe it had been inevitable. Maybe for the last few centuries Victor had simply been in denial about his growing, evolving feelings. But now he’d accepted it—and it was impossible not to.

Wandering through the moonlit gardens of the palace, Victor mused about all of this while also lamenting the fact that over the last few centuries, he and Yuuri had grown apart. It wasn’t easy being King of the Fae and the head of the Seelie court. Victor’s duties kept him busy, of course. Meanwhile, Yuuri had fostered his love of music and dance, travelling far and wide to teach Fae across the realm. It wasn’t uncommon, as many Fae often left home for centuries and endeavored to see the world beyond. Only a few moons ago had Yuuri returned, drastically different from the boy Victor remembered him to be.

Different, yet always the same. Always like home to Victor’s heart.

Victor passed through the large trellis and past the towering hedges into a more secluded part of the gardens—a place where he knew he’d be able to find Yuuri at this late an hour. He hadn’t been in his old room in the palace, and Victor knew he hadn’t taken up residence elsewhere, so this was the first place to look.

Sure enough, faint humming echoed from the clearing as he approached, carried by a gentle night’s breeze. With book in hand, Yuuri sat on a stone bench near the babbling fountain, surrounded by the rarest flowers in the realm.Devastatingly gorgeous in moonlight, Yuuri sat there with a small book open on his lap, clearly unaware of his beauty.

“I hear you’ve been making friends with humans,” Victor said, accidentally startling Yuuri who nearly dropped his book in surprise. “Ah, sorry!”

“No, it’s alright!” Yuuri quickly recovered and fixed Victor with a look that he would easily admit that he missed dearly. He felt his heart flutter at the mere sight of Yuuri, who was dressed simply in a white blouse and blue tights. Victor felt blessed that he’d been able to witness Yuuri blossom into such a lovely thing—silky hair, wam eyes, soft skin. Magnificent, like a work of art. And when he pouted those rosy lips of his, he was pure temptation. “Does it matter, _Your Majesty_ , if I choose to wander among humans every now and then?”

“No. You wouldn’t be the first, nor would you be the last. But of course, I would have to be the first to tell you to be careful,” Victor shrugged, sitting on the bench adjacent to Yuuri. There was no ban on mingling with humans, but those creatures could be dangerous. They held almost no power over Fae, but some were far too cunning and Victor could never quite forgive them for the transgressions they’d done as a whole against the planet. Still, a majority were… interesting. Curious, creative, compassionate. He couldn’t blame Yuuri if he—like many other Fae—were drawn to such dynamic yet short-lived beings.

“We could learn much from them, Your Majesty” Yuuri said, with an almost playful tone, setting his book aside.

“Like what? Victor asked him with a frown. “And you needn’t call me that—just call me Victor, as you always have.” He’d toss his crown into the fountain this instant if Yuuri wanted him to. It just felt so strange hearing the title coming out of Yuuri’s mouth. It was like a barrier between them had somehow gone up when Victor hadn’t been paying attention—and maybe that was the problem. Centuries apart with little contact other than the occasional letter had made things displeasingly _different_ between them. But it wasn’t as if Victor wanted things to go back to how they had been—he wanted something new, something more than what they’d had before.

Maybe this was his chance at a new beginning.

“Wouldn’t that be too improper?”

“When has that ever been a problem for us?”

“Fair enough,” Yuuri said with a small laugh that Victor swore could add decades to the lifespan of any mortal who was fortunate enough to hear it. “Alright, Victor.”

“There, much better,” Victor nodded. “Now, tell me, what sort of things can we possibly stand to learn from humans?”

“Well, for one, they have wonderful literature,” Yuuri said, patting the book next to him. “Take this story for example. Two unlikely people fall deeply in love, but are tragically separated due to the circumstances of their birth. They can meet only once a year for a handful of hours before being separated once more. Then they must wait for another year to see each other again.”

“What?” Victor gasped, stricken. “Only for a few _hours_? Once a year? That’s terrible!” How could Yuuri possibly find that wonderful?! The very thought of being forcibly separated from Yuuri like that made Victor’s whole body turn as cold as ice. He couldn’t imagine a crueler fate.

“Yes, well, it sounds awful, but the point is that their love is so strong that it becomes immortalized as constellations. Their love outlasts eternity.”

“When you put it like that….” It was sweet, after all. Or maybe it was the way Yuuri had said it, his voice soft and his eyes softer. “Anyway, what else have you learned from your time spent among humans?”

“Oh, a great many things. One day, I’d like to show you.”

* * *

****Faeries had ice cream, so Victor wasn’t sure what the big deal was when Yuuri shoved a waffle cone of it into his hands.

“Here!” Yuuri said, his smile so wide and sincere that Victor realized _that’s_ what the big deal was. How could one being encompass everything gentle and splendid in the world?

They were at something known as a _carnival_ or _fair_. Victor had heard about them, but of course had never ventured out to one. There had simply been no reason to do so, and there was always something more pressing to attend to. Even now, he could be trying to negotiate with some Unseelies over disputed territory. But for once, he’d taken his friend Chris’ advice and accompanied Yuuri to the carnival at his behest.

“Vanilla?” Victor asked as he took a lick of the ice cream. It wasn’t terrible, so Victor kept quiet about its questionable quality. They were simply wandering around the area, dressed in human clothing. Yuuri looked good in it—well-fitted pants, a fluffy sweater, and a pretty scarf that brought out the deep reddish hues of his eyes.

“They were out of the others—sorry. Phichit loves mint the most, but I actually like vanilla! It’s simple,” Yuuri explained as they watched a fire dancer perform tricks that awed even Victor.

“It’s comforting and familiar,” Victor agreed as they watched the man jump through burning hoops and swallow balls of fire without burning himself. “Did he enchant himself?!”

“No, they’re just very talented,” Yuuri shrugged. Humans possessed no magical ability, though maybe for the better. Could such reckless beings be entrusted with such power?

Following that performance, Yuuri dragged him to try something known as funnel cake, which was so delectable that Victor was almost moved to tears. After that was a series of overwhelming rides that made Victor realize that he most certainly did _not_ want to taste that funnel cake again—not like _that_. Why did humans voluntarily torture themselves on such contraptions? And why was Yuuri apparently having the time of his life—laughing so freely that Victor couldn’t help but laugh along, despite wanting to hurl.

Thereafter, they danced, but it was far simpler than the complex and elaborate dances Victor had been taught—and so he’d let Yuuri take the lead. It was more about feeling the music than anything else. Before long, they were bopping along a dance floor to some rhythm-heavy tune blasted from giant, booming speakers. As the dance floor filled with enthusiastic couples, Yuuri and Victor were forced closer together, but Victor wasn’t complaining. He took Yuuri by the hand and waist to prevent from getting separated from him. Yuuri blushed but allowed Victor to pull him incrementally closer until they were almost chest-to-chest. With the music flowing through him almost like magic did, Victor lost himself to it—letting everything go but the feeling of Yuuri’s warmth against him.

As the day flew by, Victor found himself and Yuuri at the very top of something known as a ferris wheel—a huge contraption that gave them the ability to see miles and miles around them in every direction. From the lush grasslands to one side, to the industrialized roads and buildings on the other. Human architecture was so different from the organic and nature-inspired buildings of Faeries, but it had its own appeal.

“It’s so beautiful up here, isn’t it?” The sun was brilliant at the horizon, casting soft red and orange hues across the land while the sky was streaked with pastel pinks and blues. Victor knew that objectively, it was a fantastic sight. But he could only focus on the way Yuuri looked in front of him—charming in every way.

“Yes.” Today’s date (as the humans called it) was everything Victor could have wanted, and more.

The perfect way to start their courtship.

“Thank you for indulging me—I know you’re busy. But I just wanted to have some fun without having to worry about anything. I figured a place like this would be best,” Yuuri said, his hands busy messing with the end of his sweater. Ever since he was little, Yuuri would tug at his clothes whenever he was nervous. And he always blushed so easily as well.

“I’m touched,” Victor admitted, finding warmth blooming in his chest at the idea of Yuuri trying so hard to make sure Victor was happy. But Victor would have been happy if all they had done was walk through the palace gardens all day, too. Though today had been fun in a way he could have never imagined and would remember forever. It was a good thing Faeries had memories to match their long lifespans, because he didn’t want to forget a single detail of this day, or the way Yuuri’s eyes glittered as the waning sunlight hit them just right. “I had a great time. We should definitely do something like this again.”

Victor was certain that the smile Yuuri gave him in that moment conjured into existence a million stars across the universe.

* * *

Nearly half a decade passed with the two of them venturing out to experience various human activities. Sometimes they went to amusement parks not unlike the carnival of their first _date_. Movies, were a personal favorite of Victor’s, as he’d only seen a few when he’d been younger. Nowadays, they were far more impressive, but the best was when Yuuri would sometimes doze off in the middle of one and use Victor’s shoulder as a pillow.

Oftentimes they simply went out to places to enjoy the scenery, sometimes bringing Chris or Phichit (or both). That way, they could just talk and enjoy each other’s presence while taking in the wondrous sights before them. After all, it would be a shame to live in such a beautiful world and not venture out to see it. Not bound by time or resources, beings such as they had no excuse—not even the Fae King himself.

And every new location they travelled to, every moment they spent together, had taught Victor more about himself and about Yuuri. It was inevitable that he fall deeper and deeper in love.

But still, Victor felt that he was stalling in terms of their relationship, and he’d had enough of it already. It was time he took the next step. Surely Yuuri was tired of waiting for him to do so.

* * *

The morning air was crisp and clear. Birds sang their lovesongs in the old trees scattered around the gardens, and the fragrance of wildflowers was carried on the breeze. It was beautiful today, but lovelier still was Yuuri—as always. He was walking barefoot along the side of the large pond near the center of the gardens, book in hand. His hair had grown longer, falling in his eyes and making him seem especially ethereal. Dressed comfortably in white tights and a gossamer embroidered blouse, he looked every bit as graceful as Victor knew he was.

“Good morning,” Victor bid him, pulling him out of his little world and into Victor’s.

“Good morning!” Oh that smile—surely it could bring anyone to their knees.

“Walk with me?” Victor asked, holding out his elbow for Yuuri to take, once Yuuri magicked his book away. They began their leisurely stroll along the winding pathways, content. It was time he made his intentions clearly known, Victor decided. It was now or never.

“I enjoy nothing more than these moments with you. This, and all the adventures we’ve had so far and all those yet to come,” he admitted easily. Yuuri turned to look at him, a blush already sweeping across his face.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Yuuri said softly, his hands squeezing ever-so-slightly where they were curled around Victor’s arm. It made Victor’s heart soar in response.

When they came to the clearing, past the trellis, Victor stopped. Yuuri seemed a little confused, but didn’t question him. The hedges provided them the privacy he wanted for this moment, and feeling emboldened, he took one of Yuuri’s hands in his. “I want you to know how much you mean to me.”

Bending down, he pressed his lips gently to the soft skin of Yuuri’s hand, and Yuuri gasped in response. Such an act was deemed quite intimate among their kind, so Victor was not surprised. Maybe he was being too bold, but he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. With each passing day, his longing had only grown .

“V-Victor,” Yuuri breathed once Victor released his hand. “This is so sudden….”

“Sudden?” Of all the responses he’d expected, that was not one of them. But the look of shock on Yuuri’s face had Victor’s mind scrambling in panic. Had he overstepped his boundaries? Was it moving too fast? If anything, Victor felt like he’d waited _too long_ to do this, and yet Yuuri looked almost on the verge of tears.

This is not how Victor wanted this to go.

“Was I too forward? I thought, after all this courting, that I was being too slow,” he sputtered. But Yuuri’s eyes only grew wider in shock.

“Courting…? I don’t understand? Do you mean all our—”

“Dates? Yes—I do believe that’s the human term for it!” Had Yuuri really thought nothing of their time together?

“D-Dates? Those were dates?” Yuuri said so quietly it was almost difficult to hear him.

So it was true after all? That Yuuri had only thought of their outings as friendly excursions, and nothing more? Surely it couldn’t be the case. Surely the energy Victor always felt between them—unique and powerful—meant something greater.

“Did you not want them to be?” he choked out, forcing himself to maintain his composure. Faeries were such emotional creatures, their hearts as fragile as glass. And Victor felt like his was about to shatter.

But then, Yuuri shook his head. “That’s not it at all! I just never thought—”

“Thought what?” Victor urged him to continue, taking a tentative step towards him. Hope flickered in his chest, like a delicate flame. Yuuri curled in on himself, anxious, but he didn’t shy away.

“Someone as magnificent as you, I just never thought you would ever… want someone as plain as me,” Yuuri whispered, refusing to meet Victor’s eyes. But Victor had never heard a more absurd sentence in his life, and to think it came from someone as clever as his Yuuri almost made him laugh.

“You are anything but plain,” Victor assured him, relieved. He gently pushed Yuuri’s chin up, and smiled when Yuuri finally met his gaze again. He moved his hand to caress Yuuri’s cheek. “You’re intelligent, passionate, curious, and kind. So stubborn, too. But you never fail to surprise me, Yuuri. Every moment I spend with you makes me crave more. I wonder if _forever_ will ever be enough.”

Yuuri seemed to be at a loss for words, but his face softened. A smile followed by a little huff was enough to assuage any pain in Victor’s heart. Yuuri nuzzled into Victor’s hand, pressing a kiss into Victor’s palm. “You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

Victor chuckled and pulled Yuuri close, meeting no resistance. In turn, Yuuri tucked his head under Victor’s chin, humming contentedly. The sound vibrated through Victor’s chest pleasantly.

“You knew that already. And how can I help it? You’re just so wonderful.”

“Do you really want to… become bondmates?” Their fates intertwined forevermore—that had been Victor’s wish for centuries. Like the lovers from Yuuri’s favorite stories, they would be together for eternity.

“More than anything. All I want is for you to stay by my side. We’ll take care of each other,” he promised.

“That almost sounds like a proposal.”

“It is.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So happy to have been a part of this project! I've met some really incredible people who are all brilliant content creators. Check out the YOI LitMag's [tumblr](https://yoilitmag.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/yoilitmag) for more info on current and future issues! Please consider supporting! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡


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